Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	abound_v	knowledge_n	temperance_n	1,392	5	11.5925	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69777	The intercourses of divine love betwixt Christ and his Church, or, The particular believing soul metaphorically expressed by Solomon in the first chapter of the Canticles, or song of songs : opened and applied in several sermons, upon that whole chapter : in which the excellencies of Christ, the yernings of his gospels towards believers, under various circumstances, the workings of their hearts towards, and in, communion with him, with many other gospel propositions of great import to souls, are handles / by John Collinges ...	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1683 (1683)	Wing C5324; ESTC R16693	839,627	984

Rocks of Pearl or ten thousand Rivers of Oil. But possibly some may say This is to plead my own merit I answer no for consider who it is that hath wrought in thy heart this value and esteem Is it not God Did flesh and blood reveal any such thing unto thee thou dost not then plead thy own merit thou only pleadest with God from what he hath already wrought and begun in thee 2. It is but the pleading of the promise which God hath made to them that love him and keep his Commandments 3. Neither dost thou plead thy esteem and value for the loves of Christ as meritorious as thinking that thy prizing the loves of Christ meriteth the further manifestations of them to thy Soul thou only pleadest it as a gracious habit wrought in thy Soul by which God hath fulfilled in thy Soul the condition of the promise thou only beggest of God that he who hath wrought in thy Soul that condition to which he hath annexed his promise would now fulfil also that promise to thy Soul which is annexed to that condition Thus I have finished the discourses I designed upon the first Petition of the Spouse as pressed by her first Argument Let him kiss me with the kisses of his Mouth For thy Loves are better than Wine Sermon XIII Canticles 1. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments Thy name is as an Ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee I Proceed to the next Proposition which I at first observed from these words which I then largely opened Christ hath good Ointments which cast a savour my meaning is according to my former explication of the words That the Lord Jesus Christ is filled with the graces of the blessed Spirit which in themselves are as good Ointments and whose excellency is discerned by every true Believer by every Soul that is espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ to use the Apostles phrase I have espoused you to one Husband For a further discourse upon this Proposition let me first shew you 1. What I mean by Christs Grace and when I say he is full of the Graces of the holy Spirit 2. In what respects these graces are like to good Ointments 3. What particular graces of the Spirit are thus like to good Ointments 4. Whence it is that they are discerned and more effectually discerned by a gracious heart than another We read in the Psalmist that Christ was anointed mith the Oil of gladness above his fellows Heb. 1. 3. That he was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power Acts 10. 38. That phrase in the Epistle to the Hebrews borrowed out of Psal 45. as I shewed you is excellently interpreted by John God gave not the Spirit unto him by measure Joh. 3. 34. The Grace of God was said to be upon him Luk. 2. 40. and he is said to be full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. Grace in Scripture as it relateth unto God is usually taken in one of these two senses 1. For the favour and free love of God by which a Person is accepted of God and so Grace is in St. Pauls Epistles to the Romans and Galatians and in his other Epistles opposed to works thus we are said to be justified by Grace saved by Grace In this sense it is also in Scripture applied to Creatures Esther obtained Grace that is favour in the sight of the King Esther 2. 17. and so in many other Texts Or 2dly it is taken For some holy and virtuous qualities and dispositions by which our Persons being first accepted in Christ we are acceptable unto God Thus it is said Joh. 1. 16. Of his fulness we have all received Grace for Grace thus Love is called a Grace 2 Cor. 8. 6. and in this sense the Apostle telleth the Corinthians God is able to make all Grace to abound to them 2 Cor. 8. 9. In this sense we are commanded to grow in Grace that is in holy virtuous dispositions or habits 2 Pet. 3. 18. It is expounded by 2 Pet. 1. 5. Add to your 〈◊〉 virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity The Grace of Christ is taken in a double sense 1. Subjectively For that free love and favour which is subjected in Christ and being in him as its Fountain floweth from him to cur Souls In this sense Christ is said to be sail of Grace and truth full of love free love towards his Peoples Souls and truly in this sense Grace comes by Jesus Christ for out of him God loveth no Soul In this sense the Apostle wisheth to the Romans Grace and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ Take Grace in this sense Christ is the Subject of it and the medium by whom it floweth from the Eternal Father to the Children of men he himself was from Eternity beloved of God and that both necessarily and freely being his Fathers Son begotten from Eternity the Father loved him delighted in him and indeed in this sense Christ may be said to have been the object of Grace but he was not anointed with this in time he had it from before all times only as to the Grace of Vnion the humane Nature until Christ assumed it was not beloved of God Christ assuming it it became the object of this Grace 2. But secondly the Grace of Christ is also taken objectively for that Grace which was poured out on Christ as Mediator and this is either 1. The Grace of Vnion which is the free love of God assuming the humane nature into a personal union with the Divine Nature in which thing God put a great deal of dignity upon and shewed a great deal of love unto our Nature 2. The grace of Sanctification by which I understand not the same which the Children of God receive upon Regeneration when of unholy they are made holy of impure they are made pure of proud they are made humble c. But those holy dispositions and qualifications which were found in Christ considered as the Son of Man by vertue of the union of the Divine Nature with the Humane Nature and his anointing with the Holy Ghost not given by measure unto him by which he was not only acceptable to his Father as Mediator but he is also exceeding lovely to his Saints So that when I say Christ hath good Ointments abundance of Grace I understand 1. Abundance of free love which dwelt in him as God over all blessed for ever to be dispensed out according to the particular exigencies of all his Peoples Souls 2. Many gracious dispositions which eminently dwelling in the God-Head from all Eternity were also by the Spirit poured out upon the Humane Nature in his Incarnation These are here called by a Metaphor Ointments and good Ointments 1. Because by the communication of these from the Divine

vertue to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to our temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to our brotherly kindness charity for if these things be in us and abound they will make us that we shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ I may add If these things be in us and abound our gracious Lord will be still adding to us making for us Borders of Gold and Studs of Silver I have now finished my Discourse upon this Text and all I have to say upon the return which this blessed Lover makes to his Spouse's Petitions It now comes to her turn to speak which she doth in the next words While the King sitteth at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof But of these words hereafter Sermon LI. Cant. 1. 12. While the King sitteth at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof IN the close of my last Discourse I told you I had finished what I intended to speak upon Christ's Answer to the Petitions of his Spouse We are now to attend to her Reply to him which is contained in v. 12 13 14. While the King sitteth at his Table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof A bundle of Myrrh is my Beloved unto me he shall lie all night betwixt my Breasts My Beloved is unto me as a cluster of Camphire in the Vineyards of Engedi I begin with the first of these Let us first inquire into the sense of the words Concerning the Grammatical sense there is little difference amongst Interpreters We read it While the King some read it So long as the King sitteth at his Table The sense is the same and the Hebrew particle signifieth both In the next word which we translate the King there is something extraordinary the Hebr. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are two praefixes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the word which alone signifieth The King I find Interpreters taking little or no notice of them but I am willing to allow as few redundancies in holy Writ as may be I find the same prefix Psal 146. 5. There it is prefixed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Ar. Mont. translateth it The God of whom Others Because the God of Jacob is his help If we may be allowed to interpret it so here it runs thus whiles and because the King sitteth at his Table and learns us that our Spikenards smell dependeth upon Christ's presence with us The King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is demonstrative or emphatical I should judge it so here As much as That King Christ is a King above all Kings he is that King The King of Kings the most noble the most excellent King The Spouse in these three verses giveth her Beloved two Names she calls him King in this verse her Beloved twice v. 13 14. Christ's familiarity with the Souls which he loveth and the freedom and boldness which he alloweth them with himself ought not to breed in them low and mean thoughts of him He is a King and that King whiles he is the poor Soul 's Beloved Sitteth at his Table The Dutch and French translate it at his Round Table Arias Montanus in circuitu suo in his Round The LXX Interpreters who are followed by the Syriack the Vulgar Lat. and Tremellius in his Lying down That we may the better judge which is the rightest we must know the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth he hath compassed about Thence comes the Noun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a circuit a compassing about and that is the word here used and except in this Text I can find it but four times in Scripture 1 King 6. 29. He carved all the walls of the House round about 2 King 23. 5. The places round about Job 37. 12. It is turned round about by his Counsels Psal 140. 9. Those that compass me about So as the most literal Translation is While the King is in his Round whiles the King is round about But by those that are Criticks in the Hebrew Language it is observed that it is a word which signifieth the form of their sitting or rather lying down to eat meat for so was the fashion of those Countries The use of Tables and Stools was not then known but they were wont to sit or lie down leaning upon their Elbows and so to eat their meat Samuel 1 Sam. 16. 11. speaking of their sitting down to eat saith We will not sit down until he come that is David's Jesse's youngest Son In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we will not round it Their meat was set on the ground and their manner in eating was to lie down round about their meat and so eat leaning on their Elbows with their hand raising their head from the ground The word only denotes to us their fashion of sitting or lying in a round figure when they did eat as we now sit about Tables Hence our Translation is good enough to express the sense While the King sitteth at his Table and the Dutch and French yet a little better at his round Table And the Translation of those who translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accubitu recubitu circuitu is also proper because those words signifie the posture in which they did eat in those Countries But there 's no foundation for their Translation who understand it of a lying in Bed it doubtless signifies While the King sitteth or lyeth at meat It followeth My Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof The word translated Spikenard is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence comes the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lat. Nardus and our Spikenard In holy Writ it signifieth two things 1. A Plant Cant. 4. 13. 14. The Plants are an Orchard of Pomegrantes with pleasant fruits Camphire with Spikenard Spikenard and Saffron Calamus and Cinnamon with all trees of Frankincense c. 2. An Ointment made in a great part at least of that herb and plant and made liquid that it might be poured out Mary used it to anoint the feet of Jesus John 12. 3. And the Woman Mar. 14. 3. The Ointment is probably meant in this place It may easily be gathered from those two Texts in the Gospel which mention it that in those Countries it was a piece of their entertainment of their friends to bring sweet Oil and to anoint their friends with it Thence Christ checked Simon Luke 7. v. 46. Mine head with Oyl thou didst not anoint but this woman hath anointed my feet with Ointment This expression plainly alludeth to that usage I shall not trouble you with the various fancies of Naturalists or their various stories about this herb or Ointment My Spikenard gives it smell Smells you know are of two sorts either more grateful or more ingrateful which we call stenches The Jewish

when that other never so declared his mind to him or any one else And 2. The Promises being not made to persons by name but to persons that do thus thus it is altogether as unreasonable for any to pretend a rest and confidence in Christ for the collation of those spiritual blessings as it had been for any Commanders in the Jewish Army having heard Saul 's declaration of his Will That whosoever killeth Goliah should have his Daughter to Wife should have promised himself Saul 's Daughter without incountring the Philistine Now this resting and relying on Christ which is the only true reliance is so difficult by reason of our former sins and daily infirmities of humane nature and the lapses and backslidings we are guilty of that no man thus comes to Christ until he be drawn Thus far I have shewed you how far this discourse may be useful to guide us in our enquiry whether we be drawn and come to Christ yea or no directing you to distinguish true Faith both from a faint and languid assent and from a natural presumption of our good Estate with reference to Eternity 2. But it may be further useful also to try your holiness That also must be the effect of Drawing Grace There are two usual mistakes about holiness 1. The first is when what we usually call Moral Virtue is called holiness 2. When we mistake it for a formal running a round of Religious Duties I say first When we mistake holiness for what we usually call Moral Virtue or Moral Righteousness I put in those words we usually call because I perceive some modern Writers possibly because pinched with their Arguments who have contended for something else besides Moral Virtue to be necessary tó salvation have extended the notion of Moral Virtue far beyond what Aristotle and the rest of the Philosophers learnt us to understand by that name and do not only bring Faith within the compass of it but will pretend it to be necessary to it that the action to be done should be performed from a Principle of Faith and Love and Obedience and directed to the Glory of God as their end These acts and actings our Fore-fathers were wont to call Grace but to let us know that those in our days who have inlarged the acts of Morality mean no more than what men may do by nature having no more than the motives of the Gospel and the assistances of the Spirit common to all to whom the Gospel is Preached therefore they well call these things Moral Virtues As to Moral Virtue in the latter notion of it it cannot be mistaken for holiness for it is so It is in the antientest and most proper notion of it that I am speaking to it So Chastity Sobriety Temperance Liberality Justice are moral habits and the acts of them are acts of Moral Virtue and Righteousness whether he that doth them doth them out of any Principle of Faith or Love or Obedience or with any respect to the Glory of God yea or no but if any thinks this is holiness he is wonderfully mistaken for it is essentially necessary to an act of holiness that it should be done from a Principle of Faith the Soul being fully persuaded that it is the Will of God and in Obedience to his Will eying his command in our action And 3. Proposing to our selves the Honour and Glory of God for our end So that though the same acts be done yet if they be done from other Principles and to other ends they may be acts of Moral Virtue that is under the government and conduct and guidance of reason but no acts of holiness Besides there are many actions which are our duties in obedience to the Will of God the reasonableness of which is not to be concluded nor ever was concluded by the men of reason amongst the Heathens from any other Principle than this That it is the highest reason that we should do what God commands us So that to reduce our duty as Christians to the Precepts of what we have used to call Moral Virtue is partly to secure our selves from a great part of our duty by that Art and partly to do what we do out of such Principles as God will never more thank us for than we will do our Servants for doing what we would have them do but they do out of respect to themselves without any regard to the pleasing of or obeying us Now though it be true that acts of Moral Virtue that is conformable to natural reason may be performed by men without any special influence of the Holy Spirit Yet without such a Drawing Influence the Soul will neither do those acts from any true Principle or to any right end Nor yet do many things which are required of us under the notion of holiness in order to eternal life Besides the holiness required of us is in all our conversation 2 Pet. 3. 11. Now it is observed of the greatest Moralists that they failed here and indulged themselves in some things of immorality yet went for morally virtuous men if they excelled in Justice though they failed in Temperance Sobriety and Chastity c. And indeed herein is the drawing of Divine Grace with respect to holiness seen and from hence to be judged If the Soul finds it self under a constant obligation to whatsoever God hath commanded and that because God hath commanded it and that it might please him and do what is acceptable in his sight This no Soul doth from a meer natural power and though the renewed Soul be made willing yet to keep on in this course it stands in need of the daily excitings and quickenings and assistances of the Holy Spirit 2. A second mistake which men may be deceived by as to Holiness is when they take a formal performance of Religious duties to be it Holiness lieth in Godliness and Righteousness And as men may mistake Righteousness towards men for Holiness so they may as easily mistake a Form of Godliness which may consist as the Apostle teacheth us with a denial of the Power of it to be Holiness Godliness in the sense I am speaking to it signifieth the performance of those acts of homage and worship which God hath required of us to his more immediate Service and Glory This lieth in the performance of some external actions of God immediately according to the prescription of his Divine Will which respecting the manner as well as the matter all such actions as are meer bodily labour are indeed no Godliness but meer formal performances and things so short of obedience to the Commands of God that God in Scripture is said not to require them that is not them alone or them performed in such a manner as Isa 1. 12. When you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the New Moons and Sabbaths the calling of